Methods for designing, making, and using a personal appliance for producing water vapor

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are methods for designing and employing a portable device for effecting a desired environment proximate to the device (including carrying out such methods under business arrangements encompassing two or more business entities). The effected environment includes, in part, temporary increases in the amount of water vapor as the device emits water vapor over some time duration, typically from about 1 or 2 minutes or so to about 15 to 30 minutes or so. Heat from a chemical heating engine is employed to drive off the water vapor. The device may also emit one or more ingredients adapted to be detected by olfaction. The device may be used to help address symptoms of various ailments, e.g., cold, flu, allergies, sinusitis, and the like. Also, the device may be employed to help promote a desired emotive state for the user of the device. The device promotes one or more desired states through auditory, tactile, visual, and/or olfactory signals. Furthermore, the device may be used to open pores in skin; or to treat skin or tissue.

BACKGROUND

People rely on health, hygiene, and wellness products as part of their everyday lives.

Some people use devices to introduce heat, moisture, aromatic materials, or some combination thereof, to the air. Some devices are powered by electricity. For example, people plug electrical air fresheners in to electrical outlets to activate the device, thereby releasing aromatic materials. Or people plug electrical humidifiers in to electrical outlets to humidify a room. Other devices release volatile materials over time without the use of electrical energy. For example, stick-up air fresheners generally have a plastic housing that may be opened to expose an internal cake that, over time, volatilizes to release materials that can be smelled. People also burn incense to introduce a pleasing aroma to a room.

Each of these products works to some degree. But none are adapted to function as a portable appliance for effecting a desired environment comprising water vapor.

What is needed are methods for designing, making, and employing a portable container that can be activated by a user of the container and which, when activated, releases water vapor, plus any optional ingredients, into the environment proximate to the location of the portable container. The portable container can be employed to, for example: help address the symptoms of various upper-respiratory-health ailments including, for example, the common cold, flu, allergies, sinus problems, and the like; help promote a desired emotional or psychological state including, for example, those states commonly associated with undergoing an experience at a spa—characterized by terms such as peace, harmony, simplicity, refreshing, recharging, getting away, and the like; and/or help provide heat energy to parts of the body (potentially due in part to the condensation of water vapor on skin, on tissue, or on a substrate enveloping skin or tissue—e.g., proximate to a knee, elbow, ankle, neck, face, etc.), which may help alleviate pain or other symptoms of arthritis, muscle or joint problems, or help open the pores of, or otherwise treat, the skin; and the like.

SUMMARY

We have developed a portable appliance for personal use that employs chemical energy to heat, and release to the nearby environment, water vapor and any optional materials (e.g., aromatic materials); and methods for designing, making, and employing such portable/personal appliance. The device may be used for applications that include, but are not limited to: helping to address symptoms of various upper-respiratory health ailments, such as colds, allergies, flu, and the like; helping to promote a desired emotive state—e.g., by effecting a spa-like experience through the release of vapor, release of aromas, the color of the device, the shape of the device, tactile sensations effected by the device's surface characteristics, tactile sensations effected by heat, visual queues through the release of a visually-detectable vapor, etc.; helping to alleviate pain, stiffness, or other such muscular, joint, or tissue/skin problems by directing heat energy (e.g., heated water vapor) to a portion of the body; and/or helping to open the pores of, or treat, skin or tissue of a user by directing heat energy to the skin or tissue a user wishes to treat.

One advantage of the invention is the device's portability, and the possibility of effecting a change only in the vicinity of the device's location. Accordingly, for example, a person suffering from a cold or allergy could employ the device in a cubicle or office at work, without affecting the broader environment (e.g., a user could activate the device at his or her desk in a work setting, and inhale the released vapor to help provide relief from congestion, without disturbing nearby co-workers). Furthermore, after activating the device, and during the time that the device is actively emitting water vapor and any optional ingredients, a user of the device can easily move the device to another location—i.e., the device is portable. Also, for some versions of the invention, the device is disposable, and is therefore a convenient way of addressing an ailment, helping produce an emotive state, or some other use.

The appliance comprises a chemical heating engine. The chemical heating engine may be any combination of chemicals that, when exposed to liquid comprising water, will release heat. The physical nature (e.g., particle size and/or surface area if a solid) and amounts of the chemicals may be selected to release a specific amount of energy and/or to affect the kinetics of the reaction (i.e., to affect the amount of heat energy being released over time).

It should be noted that the personal/portable vaporizer may be activated by simply adding tap water to the device, i.e., the liquid comprising water is substantially water. But other liquids may be added, depending on the end use. For example, chamomile tea might be added to the vaporizer, with water in the tea serving to activate the chemical heating engine, and other ingredients in the tea providing a pleasing aroma, either alone, or, as discussed elsewhere, in combination with any aromatic ingredient associated with the personal/portable vaporizer itself. Also, for some applications, a user may add an ingredient or material, such as a perfume, to the inside of the container along with liquid comprising water. The additional ingredient or material can help further provide aromas desired by a user of the personal vaporizer (e.g., if the user is seeking to help effect a desired emotive state using the personal vaporizer). Accordingly, in the paragraphs that follow, water is often referred to and discussed because a function of the personal vaporizer is to produce heat energy that is transferred to some portion of the water so that water molecules transition from the liquid phase to the gas phase—i.e., produce water vapor. But it should be understood that other materials or ingredients may be present, whether added separately by a user; or present in any water or liquid comprising water added by a user of the personal vaporizer; or present in any water or liquid comprising water contained in a rupturable cell within the personal vaporizer; or associated with components of the personal vaporizer itself.

In one version of the invention, the chemicals that react with water to produce heat are contained in a water-permeable/liquid-permeable envelope. The envelope is made of, e.g., a fibrous nonwoven substrate that contains the chemicals, but which allows water to pass through and react with the chemicals. Typically such envelopes are thin with little absorbent capacity (i.e., the envelopes are adapted to be permeable to water, but not absorb and hold significant amounts of water).

In one version of the invention, the chemicals are aluminum and calcium oxide. Other combinations are possible, of course (e.g., chemical ingredients that participate in exothermic acid-base neutralization reactions; chemical ingredients having exothermic heats of solution; etc.). See, for example, a useful survey of chemical reactions summarized in a January 2001 document by TDA Research, Inc., entitled “Applications of New Chemical Heat Sources Phase 1.” TDA Research Inc. is located in Wheat Ridge, Colo., and completed the cited evaluation of heating chemistries for the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command in Natick, Mass. Another example of a possible chemical heat engine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,257, entitled “Portable Heat Source,” which on its face issued on Jun. 19, 2001 to TDA Research, Inc. and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner consistent herewith. The disclosed heat engine includes a mixture of calcium oxide and diphosphorous pentoxide. This combination of materials would also provide a suitable amount of heat for a portable vaporizer. Another suitable chemical heat engine system would comprise a mixture of aluminum chloride and calcium oxide.

The appliance also comprises a container, with the chemical heating engine positioned in the container. In one version of the invention, the chemical heating engine is attached to the container. In another version of the invention, the chemical heating engine is releasably engaged to the container (so that, e.g., the container may be re-used by replacing a spent chemical heating engine with a new chemical heating engine). Also, in some versions of the invention, the combination of the chemical heating engine and wick (described below), is releasably engaged to the container.

Typically the appliance also contains a wick (but, as described elsewhere, some versions of the present invention do not employ a wick; or combine the wick's function—to transport and hold liquid comprising water—with any liquid/water-permeable envelope's function of holding the chemical ingredients that participate in an exothermic reaction). In one version of the invention, the wick is made of a porous material (e.g., a fibrous nonwoven material; or a cellulosic web material; or foam; or some other substrate or web). In some versions of the invention, liquid comprising water is added to the container, thereby activating the chemical heating engine to release heat. In those versions of the invention in which the wick extends above the surface of the added liquid, the liquid (again, this will, in many cases, be substantially all water, plus any additional ingredients in the water, or added separately to the container) may advance upward into the wick by capillary action. Without being bound to a particular theory, we believe that the wick acts to increase the surface area to which water can adhere, thereby helping to increase the heat-driven vaporization of the water. The amount of water vapor being driven off depends, in part, on the total surface area of water in the container.

Furthermore, and again without being limited to the following explanation, we believe that the wick, by increasing the amount of water proximate to that portion of a chemical heating engine extending above the surface of any pool of water in the container, helps moderate the rate of production of water vapor. The water in the wick acts as a heat sink, absorbing heat generated by the chemical engine. Over time the temperature of the water in the wick is increased due to heat transfer from the chemical engine, eventually reaching a temperature at which water molecules leave the liquid phase and enter the gas phase. Vaporized water leaving the wick is replaced by liquid water transported into the wick from any liquid pool in the container. Thus the wick helps moderate the kinetics of vapor production so that vaporization occurs over a desired time period. For those versions of the invention employing a wick, water vapor is typically produced from about 1 minute to about 60 minutes; suitably from about 2 minutes to about 30 minutes; particularly from about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes; and more suitably from about 1 minute to about 7 minutes (starting from the time at which water is first poured into the container; or from the time at which water is released from a rupturable cell within the container). Some versions of the invention are such that vapor is produced for relatively short durations, depending on the use for which the personal vaporizer is being employed. Shorter-duration releases of vapor will typically occur when a wick is not employed, and any water-permeable envelope containing the chemical ingredients is relatively thin and of low basis-weight such that it is not capable of holding sufficient water to moderate the kinetics of the exothermic reaction. So for example, in some versions of the invention, water vapor is produced from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes; and suitably from about 1 minute to about 3 minutes (starting from the time at which water is first poured into the container).

If a chemical heating engine comprising chemical ingredients encased in a liquid/water-permeable envelope is employed, then a wick may also serve to reduce the amount of water absorbing into, or being transported along, the chemical ingredients and/or water-permeable envelope. This is especially true where the wick is made of a substrate, such as a high-bulk cellulosic substrate, that is adapted to draw in, and hold, amounts of water greater than that which can be drawn into and held by the chemical ingredients and any water-permeable envelope encasing the ingredients. In effect, the network of pores defined by the wick is adapted, by capillary or other forces, to draw in, and hold by virtue of the volume associated with these pores, more water than the porous network defined by the chemical ingredients and any water-permeable envelope encasing the ingredients. As a result, the rate at which heat is generated is moderated or reduced, because the rate at which water is being drawn into the chemical engine is reduced.

In some versions of the invention, the appliance employs additional, optional ingredients. For example, in those instances where the appliance is adapted to help address the symptoms of a cold, allergy, or other upper-respiratory ailment (e.g., congestion), the appliance may employ eucalyptus, menthol, camphor, or other such ingredient typically used to help address the aforementioned ailments. Of course some of these ingredients are readily detected by olfaction, and therefore may reduce one advantage of the portable device (i.e., others nearby may be able to readily detect when the device is being used by virtue of one or more optional ingredients being detectable at small concentrations).

In some versions of the invention, these optional ingredients are associated with the wick. In some representative embodiments, these ingredients are associated with the wick in well-defined bands or regions adapted to be positioned above the surface of the added water. As the water front proceeds upward through the wick, the front contacts one or more bands of optional ingredients, thereby releasing the ingredients for detection by a user of the appliance.

Generally the container has a bottom wall, side wall, and top wall. In some versions of the invention, the container is shaped for aesthetic and/or for functional reasons, e.g., the perimeter of the side wall may define a curvilinear surface that is easily grasped. Or the perimeter of the side wall may be shaped to help channel heat energy and/or the generated vapor in a desired way. In some versions of the invention, the top wall—which generally incorporates the openings through which liquid comprising water is added to the container and/or through which generated water vapor exits the container—is shaped to help direct the flow of vapor. In some embodiments, the top wall or component thereof may be adjusted (e.g., rotated) to further facilitate directing heated water vapor in a desired direction.

As discussed below, in some versions of the invention liquid comprising water need not be added to the container. In some versions of the invention the container comprises a rupturable cell that contains liquid comprising water. When a user wishes to activate the portable vaporizer, he or she undertakes an action that ruptures the cell thereby releasing the liquid comprising water (which generally will both activate the chemical heating engine inside the container, and serve as the liquid source of the water vapor that is generated by virtue of the heat that is released by the engine).

In those versions of the invention where liquid comprising water is added to the container, the container, e.g., the top wall, may be shaped to help reduce the chance that liquid splashes outside of the container. For example, the top wall might be shaped such that its inner surface is analogous to a hemispherical surface, or portion thereof, with the curved surface oriented downward toward the rest of the container.

In some versions of the invention, the combination of the chemical heating engine and wick may be dropped or inserted into the container by a user of the portable vaporizer (e.g., the chemical heating engine and wick may be enclosed in an envelope that the user of the vaporizer opens, and, after retrieving the heating engine/wick assembly, place said combination inside an accompanying container).

These and other versions, embodiments, and examples of the invention are discussed elsewhere in this application.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A representatively illustrates a perspective view of an example of a portable device of the present invention.

FIG. 1B representatively shows a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 1A with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

FIG. 1C representatively illustrates a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 1A with the actuator having been depressed to release water.

FIG. 1D representatively shows a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 1C with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

FIG. 2A representatively illustrates a perspective view of an example of a portable device of the present invention.

FIG. 2B representatively shows a plan view of the portable device of FIG. 2A with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

FIG. 3A representatively illustrates a plan view of an example of a portable device of the present invention with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

FIG. 3B representatively shows a plan view of the portable device of FIG. 3A, but rotated 90 degrees, with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

FIG. 4 depicts a plot of evaporation rate, in grams per minute, versus time, in minutes, for a representative personal vaporizer described in Example 3 below.

FIG. 5 depicts a plot of container temperature, in degrees Celsius, versus time, in minutes, for a representative personal vaporizer described in Example 3 below.

FIG. 6 depicts a plot of evaporation rate, in grams per minute, versus time, in minutes, for a representative personal vaporizer described in Example 4 below.

FIG. 7 depicts a plot of container temperature, in degrees Celsius, versus time, in minutes, for a representative personal vaporizer described in Example 4 below.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Definitions

Within the context of this specification, each term or phrase below includes the following meaning or meanings:

“Attach” and its derivatives refer to the joining, adhering, connecting, bonding, sewing together, or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be attached together when they are integral with one another or attached directly to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly attached to intermediate elements. “Attach” and its derivatives include permanent, releasable, or refastenable attachment. In addition, the attachment can be completed either during the manufacturing process or by the end user.

“Bond” and its derivatives refer to the joining, adhering, connecting, attaching, sewing together, or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be bonded together when they are bonded directly to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly bonded to intermediate elements. “Bond” and its derivatives include permanent, releasable, or refastenable bonding.

“Coform” refers to a blend of meltblown fibers and absorbent fibers such as cellulosic fibers that can be formed by air forming a meltblown polymer material while simultaneously blowing air-suspended fibers into the stream of meltblown fibers. The coform material may also include other materials, such as superabsorbent materials. The meltblown fibers and absorbent fibers are collected on a forming surface, such as provided by a foraminous belt. The forming surface may include a gas-pervious material that has been placed onto the forming surface.

“Connect” and its derivatives refer to the joining, adhering, bonding, attaching, sewing together, or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be connected together when they are connected directly to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly connected to intermediate elements. “Connect” and its derivatives include permanent, releasable, or refastenable connection. In addition, the connecting can be completed either during the manufacturing process or by the end user.

“Disposable” refers to articles which are designed to be discarded after a limited use rather than being restored for reuse.

The terms “disposed on,” “disposed along,” “disposed with,” or “disposed toward” and variations thereof are intended to mean that one element can be integral with another element, or that one element can be a separate structure bonded to or placed with or placed near another element.

“Elastic,” “elasticized,” “elasticity,” and “elastomeric” mean that property of a material or composite by virtue of which it tends to recover its original size and shape after removal of a force causing a deformation. Suitably, an elastic material or composite can be elongated by at least about 10 percent (to 110 percent) of its relaxed length and will recover, upon release of the applied force, at least about 15 percent of its elongation. Particularly, an elastic material or composite can be elongated by at least about 25 percent (to 125 percent) of its relaxed length and will recover, upon release of the applied force, at least about 30 percent of its elongation.

“Extensible” refers to a material or composite which is capable of extension or deformation without breaking, but does not substantially recover its original size and shape after removal of a force causing the extension or deformation. Suitably, an extensible material or composite can be elongated by at least 25 percent (to 125 percent) of its relaxed length.

“Fiber” refers to a continuous or discontinuous member having a high ratio of length to diameter or width. Thus, a fiber may be a filament, a thread, a strand, a yarn, or any other member or combination of these members.

“Hydrophilic” describes fibers or the surfaces of fibers which are wetted by aqueous liquids in contact with the fibers. The degree of wetting of the materials can, in turn, be described in terms of the contact angles and the surface tensions of the liquids and materials involved. Equipment and techniques suitable for measuring the wettability of particular fiber materials or blends of fiber materials can be provided by a Cahn SFA-222 Surface Force Analyzer System, or a substantially equivalent system. When measured with this system, fibers having contact angles less than 90 degrees are designated “wettable” or hydrophilic, and fibers having contact angles greater than 90 degrees are designated “nonwettable” or hydrophobic.

“Layer” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.

“Liquid impermeable,” when used in describing a layer or multi-layer laminate means that liquid will not pass through the layer or laminate, under ordinary use conditions, in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the layer or laminate at the point of liquid contact.

“Liquid permeable” refers to any material that is not liquid impermeable.

“Meltblown” refers to fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity gas (e.g., air) streams, generally heated, which attenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameters. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al. Meltblowing processes can be used to make fibers of various dimensions, including macrofibers (with average diameters from about 40 to about 100 microns), textile-type fibers (with average diameters between about 10 and 40 microns), and microfibers (with average diameters less than about 10 microns). Meltblowing processes are particularly suited to making microfibers, including ultra-fine microfibers (with an average diameter of about 3 microns or less). A description of an exemplary process of making ultra-fine microfibers may be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,881 to Timmons, et al. Meltblown fibers may be continuous or discontinuous and are generally self bonding when deposited onto a collecting surface.

“Member” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.

“Nonwoven” and “nonwoven web” refer to materials and webs of material that are formed without the aid of a textile weaving or knitting process. For example, nonwoven materials, fabrics or webs have been formed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, air laying processes, and bonded carded web processes.

“Stretchable” means that a material can be stretched, without breaking, by at least 25 percent (to 125 percent of its initial (unstretched) length) in at least one direction. Elastic materials and extensible materials are each stretchable materials.

“Water impermeable,” when used in describing a layer or multi-layer laminate means that water will not pass through the layer or laminate, under ordinary use conditions, in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the layer or laminate at the point of water contact.

“Water permeable” refers to any material that is not water impermeable.

These terms may be defined with additional language in the remaining portions of the specification.

Description

As noted in the Background section, there are numerous electrical devices for producing water vapor, many of which are not portable in the sense of helping effect a desired environment near a single user employing the device, regardless of the user's proximity to an electrical outlet. The present invention is directed to a portable device for effecting such a desired environment for purposes of addressing one or more symptoms of an upper respiratory ailment; for purposes of helping promote a desired emotive state in the user employing the device; and for other such uses where water vapor, emitted for a time period of, for example, representative durations identified above, is used to effect an environment desired by the user employing the device (e.g., by directing heated water vapor and/or heat to a portion of the body to help address pain, stiffness, or other such condition). A traditional vaporizer is large and typically not portable (i.e., the device is tethered by an electrical cord to an electrical outlet; and/or cannot be readily stored in a purse, or carried from location to location when activated). This vaporizer delivers water vapor and/or heat anywhere, anytime, with or without any additional, optional ingredients.

As is described below, the device may comprise a number of different chemical heating engines. For example, calcium oxide and aluminum can be used to produce the heat necessary to form water vapor. The ingredients used to generate heat may themselves be contained in a substrate. For example, calcium oxide and aluminum are typically in particulate form, and so these materials can be placed in an envelope comprising a liquid-permeable substrate that prevents the chemical ingredients from migrating outside of the envelope, but which permits liquid/water to diffuse or be transported through the substrate, thereby contacting the chemical ingredient(s) and initiating the chemical reaction that produces heat.

A wick is typically interposed between the chemical ingredients and any vents or ports through which the generated water vapor escapes. In part this further promotes safe use of the product. If the chemical reaction, and accompanying heat, resulted in any, for example, formation of microbubbles that then break at the water surface, resulting in the release of small amounts of liquid from the disintegrating air/liquid interface of the popped bubble, then the wick blocks such release (e.g., akin to the release of liquid at the surface of a carbonated beverage as bubbles break at the surface).

The wick also serves to increase the total surface area of water available to be heated and driven off. If a heating engine like that described above is placed at the bottom of a cylindrical glass, and water is poured over the heating engine such that the heating engine (e.g., a liquid-permeable envelope containing the heat-generating ingredients) is completely submerged, then the available surface area for heat-driven vaporization is equal to πr², where “r” denotes the inside radius of the glass, and therefore the area of the air/liquid interface at the top of the column of liquid.

But a wick in certain versions of the present invention serves to increase the surface area of water for vaporization. Water migrating up the wick increases the surface area of water available for water molecules to escape the liquid phase and enter the gas phase—i.e., form water vapor (this assumes that the wick extends above the surface of the liquid pool in the device). In one version of the invention, the wick is a fibrous substrate that facilitates the migration of water along and through the substrate (i.e., by surface diffusion along the surfaces of the fiber that make up the substrate; through pores defined by, and between, fiber making up the substrate; through any pores in the fibers themselves, as might occur with wood fiber having lumens, or hollow synthetic fiber, and which therefore are similar to hollow tubes; and other forms of mass transport along or through the wick). Such transport along and through the wick can be manipulated by selecting a pore size, surface chemistry, and other such factors that affect mass transport of water along and/or through a substrate. If desired, surface active agents may be used to help promote transport of liquid along and/or through a wick.

The wick also serves to at least partially surround (with the term “surround” including a configuration in which the wick is proximate to, and not necessarily adjoined to, the chemical heating ingredients and any liquid-permeable substrate containing the ingredients) some or all of the chemical ingredients with a quantity of water appropriate for the production of water vapor over some extended period of time (e.g., for representative time durations identified above).

Water acts like a heat sink. Too much water, and the heat released by the chemical ingredients will not be sufficient to raise the temperature of the water to its boiling point. This might occur, for example, if a liquid-permeable envelope containing a few grams of chemical ingredients for producing heat is dropped into a beaker of several hundred grams of water.

Too little water, and heat produced by the exothermic reaction is released rapidly, quickly vaporizing the added water. This might occur, for example, if a low basis-weight, liquid-permeable envelope containing a few grams of chemical ingredients for producing heat is placed in fluid communication with a pool of water, but with some portion of the envelope extending above the surface of the water (e.g., with about one quarter of a length dimension of the envelope immersed into the pool of water, and with the remaining three quarters of the same length dimension extending above the surface of the pool of water). Water diffusing or otherwise migrating from the pool of water to and through the chemical ingredients and the liquid-permeable envelope would participate in the exothermic reaction that generates heat. Some of the heat would be absorbed by water, raising its temperature to the boiling point of water, thereby vaporizing the water. Some of the heat would be released to the surrounding air, because there is insufficient water enveloping some or all the heat engine extending upward from the surface of the pool of water. Heat transferred to the surrounding air would do little or no “work” vaporizing water.

It should be noted that if the liquid-permeable envelope was adapted to act like a wick of the present invention—e.g., by selecting a substrate for the envelope that had a higher basis weight, and the capability for conducting more significant quantities of water along or through the substrate such that the rate of vapor production was extended over a time period of from about 1 to 2 minutes after at least some portion of the heat engine was first activated, to about 7 to 30 minutes after the heat engine was first activated—then the liquid-permeable envelope would serve both to contain the chemical ingredients used to produce heat when wetted with water, and to serve as a wick as described in the present invention. But, as noted above, in some versions of the invention vapor is released over relatively short durations, and therefore a thin, low basis-weight, liquid-permeable envelope, with a relatively low absorbent capacity, is employed without any wick-like structure.

These examples bracket, in effect, the kinetics of vapor production. Again: too much water proximate to the chemical ingredients for producing heat, and the transferred heat will be insufficient to raise the temperature of the water to its boiling point. Too little water proximate to the chemical ingredients for producing heat, and the transferred heat will quickly vaporize all available water, with some of the generated heat being transferred to surrounding air, rather than water.

A wick, or wick-like structure, employed in some versions of the present invention, serves to increase the surface area of water for vaporization, and to provide a quantity of water for vaporization over some time duration (rather than, as discussed above, failing to achieve vaporization at all; or quickly vaporizing all available liquid within, for example, a few minutes after the heating engine is activated—which is acceptable for some end uses of a portable vaporizer, but would not meet the needs of those users wishing to operate the vaporizer over longer durations of time).

One should also note that the wick (e.g., a cellulosic substrate) acts to absorb water, thereby likely reducing the rate at which water is absorbed into the heat engine. By slowing the rate of water absorbing into the heat engine, the rate of heat generation is also dampened or reduced. Concurrent with the non-limiting descriptions of other phenomena associated with employing a wick—e.g., the additional water enveloping at least some portions of the wick extending above the surface of any liquid pool, thereby providing a heat sink to absorb released heat energy that might otherwise be dissipated in air surrounding the wick; and the additional air/water interfacial area provided by water drawn into the wick, thereby increasing the surface area available for water molecules to exit the liquid phase and enter the gas phase—the wick serves facilitate the production of water vapor.

Before providing additional detail regarding individual components of the present invention, one representative embodiment provides an overview of some of the more general aspects of the present invention. FIG. 1 depicts a portable vaporizer of the present invention. The portable vaporizer comprises a container 10 having a bottom wall 12, a side wall 14, and a top wall 16. The container may be integrally formed, or one or more of the walls may be formed separately and attached to one another (e.g., by using an adhesive; thermal bonding; welding; mechanical connections such as threading, hinges, screws; and the like). In some versions of the invention, one or more walls are releasably connected to one another, e.g., a top wall or lid can be attached and detached to the remainder of the container, possibly allowing a user of the portable vaporizer to access the interior—perhaps to insert a chemical heating engine or combination of a wick and chemical heating engine; or to replace a spent chemical heating engine, or combination of a wick and spent chemical heating engine. The container and/or walls may be formed in any number of ways (e.g., by molding plastic).

The top wall has at least one opening 18 into which liquid comprising water may be added (except for those exemplary embodiments in which the portable vaporizer comprises a rupturable cell containing liquid comprising water) and/or through which water vapor exits the container. While FIG. 1 shows an embodiment having openings in the top wall of the container, openings may be placed elsewhere, including in the side wall.

The exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 also comprises a mechanism, in this case a plunger 20 that may be depressed to rupture a water-containing cell contained inside the container 10. As is discussed elsewhere, a rupturable cell containing liquid comprising water, or other such component, may be of any configuration, so long as a user of the portable vaporizer is able to activate the vaporizer by rupturing or opening the component containing liquid comprising water. Furthermore, a variety of different mechanisms or designs may be used to facilitate rupturing or opening of the water-containing cell or component. While FIG. 1 depicts a representative embodiment employing a plunger, other subassemblies may be used to open the cell/component (e.g., a pull tab).

Various materials may be used when making the container. Typically a material and wall thickness will be selected to optimize the degree of warmth perceived by a user of the appliance when touching the container after the chemical heating engine has been activated, i.e., a person of skill in the art will recognize that the thickness and heat-transfer properties of a material affect the increase in temperature over time when that material is brought into contact with a heat source. In an appliance of the present invention, once liquid comprising water is poured into the container, or a water-containing cell within the container is ruptured, then the water will contact the chemical heating engine and, e.g., an exothermic reaction will result in the release of heat energy. The released heat energy will increase the temperature of the water, ultimately causing some of the water molecules in the liquid phase to go into the gas phase (i.e., produce water vapor). Because the water is in contact with the container, and the materials with which the container is constructed, heat will also be systematically transferred from heated water, whether in the liquid phase or in the gas phase (for that vapor which is within the container, and perhaps condensing on an interior surface of the container), to the container. The temperature of the container will therefore go up.

In some versions of the present invention, the materials of construction are selected so that the container acts as an insulator, retaining much of the heat within the interior of the container. In some versions of the invention, the materials of construction, and design parameters, are selected so that a user of the portable vaporizer is able to detect the temperature increase. Warmth perceived by a user of the appliance touching the portable vaporizer, perhaps cupping the vaporizer between the palms of his or her hands, may help to promote a desired emotive state, and may help transmit a signal to a user of the vaporizer that the vaporizer is activated and working.

Accordingly, in some versions of the invention, a container's thickness and the heat-transfer coefficient of the materials with which the container is made are selected so that a temperature increase is detectable by a user of the portable vaporizer when touching the vaporizer's exterior. In some versions of the present invention, the vaporizer comprises a component adapted to transmit a signal to a user of the vaporizer, said signal correlating with a temperature increase (e.g., the component could employ, for example, thermochromic materials selected to change color as the external surface of the container increases in temperature after the chemical heating engine is activated). The signal could be somewhat utilitarian—to convey to a user of the vaporizer that the device was activated and working; or the signal, by choosing appropriate colors, and perhaps matching and/or combining said colors with one or more scents, can help produce one or more emotive states. Also, color-changing ingredients might be used in, or as part of, a simple graphic. For example, one graphic could comprise an outline of the shape of the vaporizer itself in a non-color-changing dye. Above the image of the vaporizer, color-changing dyes could be used to outline simple “s” shapes or analogous iconic images that convey the idea of heat rising from the container itself. So, for example, when the portable vaporizer is not activated, only the image of the outline of the vaporizer itself would be visible. Once the vaporizer was activated, however, the selected color-changing dye used to portray the heat icon above the vaporizer would go from a colorless state to a colored state (e.g., red), thereby indicating to a user that the portable vaporizer was activated. Of course such graphic symbol would be in addition to other signals showing that the vaporizer was operating (e.g., the visual queue of vapor rising from the container itself; any auditory queue—such as bubbling; the tactile sensation of the container's warm outer surface after activation of the vaporizer; etc.).

If aromatic ingredients are used, they may be deployed in selected regions on the wick such that water sequentially releases these aromatic ingredients as it transports along and/or through the wick. Furthermore, any visual queue, such as that described above with thermochromic ingredients changing color as the temperature of the portable vaporizer increases, may be selected such that different scents are released at different times after the chemical engine is activated, with different color changes occurring proximate in time (as temperature increases) to these differing releases of scent.

The shape of the container may be such that the exterior surface has a curvilinear perimeter, with an outside diameter that changes along the longitudinal axis of the container. The outside diameter may be selected such that the container is easily and safely held in the hand, or hands, of a user. In some versions of the present invention, a handle or other protrusion emanates from the surface of the container to facilitate a user holding the vaporizer.

The surface of the container may also be shaped to have an undulating or rippled surface, in some cases adapted to allow a user to place one or more of his or her individual fingers into channels, grooves, or the like.

The openings that allow water vapor to exit and/or liquid to be poured into the container (for those versions of the invention not having an internal component, such as a water-containing, rupturable cell, to provide the water necessary to both activate the chemical heating engine and source for producing water vapor) may be of any shape or number.

The top wall can be shaped in a variety of ways. For certain versions of the invention, the top wall can be shaped to help direct water vapor in a specific amount and/or direction. In some embodiments, the top wall, or some portion thereof, is rotatable or otherwise adjustable, thereby allowing a user to direct water vapor in a specific direction. Also, the top wall can have an inwardly concave surface that allows a user to pour water into the container with minimal spilling (for those versions of the invention where water is added).

A logo, image, icon, graphic, text, or other such visual may be associated with the container to help promote a given emotive state in the user of the portable vaporizer, e.g., the container might display a graphic of the ying/yang symbol, peace symbol, other symbols evoking the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, images from movie posters, images from album/CD covers, images from books, quotations from books, and the like.

FIG. 1B representatively shows a perspective view of the container 10 of FIG. 1A with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features depicts. As with FIG. 1A, plunger 20 has not yet been pressed downward. The bottom of the plunger is proximate to the wick 22, which in the depicted embodiment takes the shape of an inverted “U” (i.e., the open end of the U-shaped wick is oriented downward, and the curvilinear portion of the U is oriented upward, proximate to the plunger). A chemical engine 24 is positioned within the U-shaped wick, in this case proximate to the curvilinear portion of the wick. As noted above, the chemical engine can be, for example, solid chemical ingredients contained in a liquid-permeable sleeve that allows water to pass though the sleeve and contact the chemical ingredients, but which substantially impedes migration of the chemical ingredients outward through the sleeve. In the depicted embodiment, water 26 is located at the bottom of container 10 in a rupturable cell. For example, a substrate 28 (a film, cellophane, foil, or other such web; perhaps scored or otherwise modified to facilitate breakage) adapted to break under pressure may be employed. Also, a mechanical component may be employed to help facilitate breakage of the cell, such as employing something like prongs 30 (which, in the depicted embodiment, may also help stabilize the wick and/or the combination of the wick and chemical engine; such prongs or other such components may also be used to help keep the wick and/or chemical engine centrally located within the portable vaporizer, thereby ensuring that air is interposed between the inner surface of the container and the wick and/or chemical engine—in this way air, typically viewed as an insulating medium compared to many other materials, helps to reduce the amount of heat transferring to the wall of the container).

Another optional element is a mechanical component that helps retain the water in a specific location within the container. In the representative version depicted in FIG. 1B, a sleeve 32 is adapted to fit over at least a portion of the rupturable cell containing water.

As noted elsewhere in the application, the portable vaporizer may employ a number of optional ingredients. These ingredients may be dissolved, suspended, or otherwise in the water contained in the rupturable cell. Alternatively, such ingredients may be associated with the wick and/or chemical engine. Or such ingredients may be associated with other portions of the container, such as interior surfaces of the side wall and/or top wall. These ingredients may be of the type that the ingredients must contact water and/or water vapor before they will be borne into the environment proximate to the portable vaporizer, and therefore available for detection by a user of the appliance.

FIG. 1C representatively illustrates a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 1A with the actuator or plunger 20 having been depressed to release water.

FIG. 1D representatively shows a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 1C with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features. The plunger 20 is in a depressed position. The rupturable cell has been broken, with prongs 30 and portions of the inverted-U-shaped wick 22 extending into the cell and water 26. In the representative version depicted in FIG. 1D, the chemical engine 24 does not extend into the water when the portable vaporizer is activated by depressing the plunger. Instead, water would migrate up the wick, and through the sleeve and to the chemical ingredients, thereby activating the chemical heating engine 24. The released heat would then provide the energy necessary to elevate the temperature of water associated with the wick, ultimately resulting in water molecules leaving the liquid phase and entering the gas phase. Furthermore, the released heat would help create upward movement such that the generated water vapor would move upward, through, and out the openings 18. As noted earlier, in the representative version depicted in FIG. 1D, a sleeve 32 partially encloses top and side portions of the rupturable cell when the plunger is depressed.

The preceding paragraphs describe one representative embodiment of a portable vaporizer of the present invention. Subsequent sections provide additional detail on certain components of the present invention; as well as additional representative versions of the present invention.

Representative Heating Engines

A number of different ingredients may be employed to release the heat necessary to produce water vapor. For example, various combinations of ingredients capable of participating in an exothermic chemical reaction may be used. Typically the ingredient types and amounts will be selected such that at least some quantity of water reaches a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius within about 1 to 5 minutes after the portable vaporizer has been activated. If desired, additives may be used to alter the boiling point of water. Note too that other physical characteristics may be chosen to affect the amount or rate at which heat is being generated (e.g., particle size, particle surface area, and the like).

For some embodiments of the present invention, the chemical reactants can be, for example: salts or blends of salts, having relatively high exothermic heats of solution; and water. Many such combinations are disclosed generally in the technical and patent literature. Also, reactants participating in exothermic acid-base neutralization reactions may be employed in the present invention. Again, many such combinations of reactants are known and are disclosed in the literature. As noted elsewhere, one example of useful commentary in this technical area is a January 2001 report by TDA Research, Inc., entitled “Applications of New Chemical Heat Sources Phase 1.” Heating chemistries are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,486, entitled “Portable Heat Source,” and which on its face is dated 10 Aug. 1999, and which is incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner consistent herewith. Some potentially useful chemistries include AlCl₃ and MgO; FeCl₃ and MgO; AlCl₃ and CaO; FeCl₃ and CaO; C₄H₄O₃ and CaO; other combinations, such as combinations including oxides of metals (e.g., magnesium, calcium, and the like); and use of certain oxides of metals alone (e.g., hydration of calcium oxide). That is, chemical ingredients for use in chemical heating engines of the present invention may include calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum, aluminum chloride, ferric chloride, di-phosphorous pentoxide, magnesium, magnesium chloride, magnesium/iron alloy, iron, and/or succinic anhydride, and/or combinations thereof, and the like. Of course, for use in products purchased by consumers, product safety, flammability, toxicity, and other such characteristics are considered when selecting a chemical heating engine.

As detailed below in the Examples section, straightforward calculations known to those of skill in the art may be employed to determine the types and amounts of safe and efficacious ingredients needed to produce the amount of heat (typically measured in calories) necessary to raise the temperature of a selected quantity of water to its boiling point. Such calculations may be used when designing a personal vaporizer of the present invention. In one version of a method for designing a personal vaporizer of the present invention, the volume and shape of the container are selected. Chemical ingredients that participate in an exothermic reaction in the presence of water are also selected, with the exothermic reaction corresponding to a theoretical heat of reaction (often measured by the unit “calories”, or calories per gram of reactant(s)). Also, the amount of water that a user of the personal vaporizer will either add, or release from a rupturable cell inside the container, is selected, with the amount of water corresponding to a theoretical caloric input needed to raise the temperature of some portion of the selected mass of water from about 20-22 degrees Celsius to the water's boiling point, and then vaporize said water. (Note: dissolved ingredients may alter the liquid's boiling point, such that the liquid's boiling point is not 100 degrees Celsius.) Basic stoichiometric calculations that account for the theoretical heat of reaction and theoretical caloric input may then be used to calculate the mass of selected chemical ingredients that is theoretically sufficient to vaporize at least some portion of the selected mass of water (by raising the temperature of some portion of the selected mass of water from something like room temperature to the water's boiling point). A prototype of the portable vaporizer may then be made in accordance with the present teachings. The prototype is then tested by activating the personal vaporizer, either by adding the selected amount of water (which, as noted elsewhere, may include other ingredients), or by rupturing any cell holding the selected amount of water (including any optional ingredients).

Simple experimental designs known to those of skill in the art may be used to optimize the design of a personal vaporizer (e.g., by manipulating certain dependent variables, such as the type and amount of chemical ingredients, in a simple factorial design, and then evaluating a selected independent variable, such as grams of water vapor produced per unit time). The design of a personal vaporizer may also be optimized through consumer use tests (i.e., participants are given working prototypes which they then use, either in a controlled setting, or at home, and then give qualitative or quantitative feedback which can be evaluated to determine which prototype is perceived as best meeting identified need(s) of the use-test participant). Or, as noted above, the design might be optimized by measuring certain independent variables (e.g., by measuring the decrease in mass, over time, of the operating vaporizer, thereby giving a measurement of the amount of water vapor being produced over time). For purposes of this application, the term “optimize” refers to either: (1) selecting one prototype personal vaporizer from a plurality of prototypes of personal vaporizers using qualitative and/or quantitative data obtained, at least in part, from responses by participants in a use test evaluating the plurality of prototypes of personal vaporizers; or (2) selecting one prototype personal vaporizer from a plurality of prototypes of personal vaporizers using one or more measurements of performance of the plurality of prototypes of personal vaporizers (e.g., by measuring the mass of vapor produced per unit time; by measuring the time duration over which a substantial portion of the water vapor is produced; by measuring the temperature at the exterior of the container during operation of the prototype; by measuring the amounts or types of volatile materials released by the prototype during its operation; etc.).

Representative Optional Ingredients

A number of optional ingredients may be employed in a portable device of the present invention. A number of optional ingredients, or agents, are adapted to be detected by olfaction and include perfumes, essences, fragrance oils, and so forth. As is known in the art, many essential oils and other natural plant derivatives contain large percentages of highly volatile scents. In this regard, numerous essential oils, essences, and scented concentrates are commonly available from companies in the fragrance and food businesses. Exemplary oils and extracts include, but are not limited to, those derived from the following plants: almond, amyris, anise, armoise, bergamot, cabreuva, calendula, canaga, cedar, chamomile, coconut, eucalyptus, fennel, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, orange, palm, peppermint, quassia, rosemary, thyme, and so forth.

Many fragrances have colors associated with the fragrance. For example, the color lavender or purple is often associated with a lavender scent; the color yellow is often associated with a chamomile scent, a daffodil and the like; the color red is often associated with a rose scent and the like; and the color green is often associated with the scents of aloe, wintergreen and the like. Accordingly, the color of a portable/personal vaporizer of the present invention, or some portion thereof, and one or more scents may be selected to help create a theme like that just described.

As noted above, a personal vaporizer may be used, alone or in conjunction with other articles of manufacture, to evoke, in the mind of the user of the personal vaporizer, a desired psychological or emotive state. For example, the visual design, any optional scent, color, sound, etc., may be such that the portable vaporizer helps evoke a spa-like experience for the user of the appliance. Such experiences are generally characterized by terms like “pampering,” “refreshing,” “rejuvenating,” “getting away,” “peace,” “comfort,” “relaxation,” and the like. Accordingly, the product design, function, package, and information characterizing the product may be tailored to help establish a connection in the mind of a consumer between use of the portable vaporizer of the present invention and a spa-like experience.

Alternatively, the portable/personal vaporizer may be designed to help alleviate one or more symptoms of upper-respiratory health problems (e.g., cold, flu, allergy, sinus problems, etc.). For such uses, a vaporizer may include menthol, eucalyptus, camphor, and other such ingredients. When the portable vaporizer is activated, a user can position his or her face relative to the vaporizer so that he or she is breathing in the vapors. Any optional ingredients, such as menthol, may be employed to further help address upper-respiratory health symptoms that the user is seeking to address.

As noted above, the vaporizer can be used to direct water vapor and/or heat to fingers, joints, and other parts of the body where heat energy can be used to help alleviate pain, stiffness, etc. Or a personal vaporizer may be used to direct water vapor and/or heat to skin or tissue to, for example, open pores, or supply moisture.

Representative Wick Materials

A number of different materials may be used when making a wick for a portable device of the present invention. The wick could be a sponge, fibrous web, whether woven or nonwoven (and whether made of wood fiber, some other natural fiber, synthetic fiber, or some combination thereof) or other substrate. Generally the wick will be porous so that water migrating along and/or through the wick associates with a sufficient amount of solid surface to help increase the surface area of liquid water from which water molecules may escape into the gas phase, thereby creating water vapor.

Nonwoven materials may be used to make the wick. If a nonwoven material is used, then commercially available thermoplastic polymeric materials can be advantageously employed in making the fibers or filaments from which the wick is formed. As used herein, the term “polymer” shall include, but is not limited to, homopolymer, copolymers, such as, for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc., and blends and modifications thereof. Moreover, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term “polymer” shall include all possible geometric configurations of the material, including, without limitation, isotactic, syndiotactic, random and atactic symmetries. As used herein, the terms “thermoplastic polymer” or “thermoplastic polymeric material” refer to a long-chain polymer that softens when exposed to heat and returns to the solid state when cooled to ambient temperature. Exemplary thermoplastic materials include, without limitation, polyvinyl chlorides, polyesters, polyamides, polyfluorocarbons, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, caprolactams, and copolymers of the foregoing.

Nonwoven webs that can be employed in making the wick can be formed by a variety of known forming processes, including spunbonding, airlaying, meltblowing, or bonded carded web formation processes. Spunbond nonwoven webs are made from melt-spun filaments. As used herein, the term “meltspun filaments” refers to small diameter fibers and/or filaments which are formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular, capillaries of a spinneret with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced, for example, by non-eductive or eductive fluid drawing or other well known spunbonding mechanisms. Lastly, the melt-spun filaments are deposited in a substantially random manner onto a moving carrier belt or the like to form a web of substantially continuous and randomly arranged, melt-spun filaments. Spunbond filaments generally are not tacky when they are deposited onto the collecting surface. The production of spunbond nonwoven webs is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538 to Peterson, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The melt-spun filaments formed by the spunbond process are generally continuous and have average diameters larger than 7 microns based upon at least 5 measurements, and more particularly, between about 10 and 100 microns. Another frequently used expression of fiber or filament diameter is denier, which is defined as grams per 9000 meters of a fiber or filament.

Spunbond webs generally are stabilized or consolidated (pre-bonded) in some manner immediately as they are produced in order to give the web sufficient integrity and strength to withstand the rigors of further processing into a finished product. This pre-bonding step may be accomplished through the use of an adhesive applied to the filaments as a liquid or powder which may be heat activated, or more commonly, by compaction rolls. As used herein, the term “compaction rolls” means a set of rollers above and below the nonwoven web used to compact the web as a way of treating a just produced, melt-spun filament, particularly spunbond, web, in order to give the web sufficient integrity for further processing, but not the relatively strong bonding of later applied, secondary bonding processes, such as through-air bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding and the like. Compaction rolls slightly squeeze the web in order to increase its self-adherence and thereby its integrity.

An exemplary secondary bonding process utilizes a patterned roller arrangement for thermally bonding the spunbond web. The roller arrangement typically includes a patterned bonding roll and a smooth anvil roll which together define a thermal patterning bonding nip. Alternatively, the anvil roll may also bear a bonding pattern on its outer surface. The pattern roll is heated to a suitable bonding temperature by conventional heating means and is rotated by conventional drive means, so that when the spunbond web passes through the nip, a series of thermal pattern bonds is formed. Nip pressure within the nip should be sufficient to achieve the desired degree of bonding of the web, given the line speed, bonding temperature and materials forming the web. Percent bond areas within the range of from about 10 percent to about 20 percent are typical for such spunbond webs.

Coform, wetlaid, airlaid, and or other such formed webs may be used when making a wick. Furthermore, the wick may be stratified, incorporating different materials in different layers through the thickness of the wick. As noted elsewhere, various kinds of natural fiber may be used, including various kinds of fiber derived from mechanical, chemi-mechanical, chemi-thermomechanical, and chemical pulps, whether bleached or unbleached. Also, fiber (e.g., natural fiber) may be cross-linked or otherwise treated so that substrates comprising the fiber possess higher bulk and porosity.

The wick may be formed in a way that a desired pore structure is defined by the fibers making up a web, i.e., a web, if employed as a wick, may be formed such that the fibers making up the web define a pore structure that facilitates capillary action (to facilitate a drawing up of water from the bottom of the container into, and up and through the wick, or at least a portion thereof). Generally smaller pores increase capillary forces acting on water. But a web with smaller pores may have a lower overall absorbent capacity (defined, e.g., by determining the grams of water absorbed per gram of web under specified test conditions).

As stated elsewhere, the wick may employ one or more optional ingredients that are associated with the wick itself. One or more surfactants may be associated with synthetic fiber, for example, to make the fiber more hydrophilic, thereby helping promote migration of water along the wick itself. Also, as noted above, one or more optional ingredients that are employed may be associated with the wick, and then released when the portable vaporizer is activated. For example, an ingredient could be printed, sprayed, coated, brushed, or otherwise associated with the substrate or web that will serve as the wick in the portable vaporizer. To the extent that a liquid carrier (e.g., water) is used when associating an optional ingredient with the substrate, then the substrate can be air dried, with or without heat or other energy, to remove some or all of the water, thereby leaving a dry, or substantially dry ingredient associated with the substrate. As noted above, a plurality of ingredients may be associated with the substrate such that different ingredients are released as the front of water proceeds along the wick once the portable vaporizer is activated (akin to a solvent front moving along a substrate during a chromatographic analysis).

The wick may be attached to the chemical heating ingredients and any water-permeable envelope encasing said ingredients in a number of ways. For example, the chemical heating ingredients and any water-permeable envelope encasing said ingredients may be sandwiched between two layers of substrate, with the two layers connected to each other in some way (e.g., by adhesively bonding, sewing, stapling, fusing, thermally bonding, welding, ultrasonically bonding, or otherwise attaching some portion of each of the two layers to one another). Alternatively, the chemical heating ingredients and any water-permeable envelope encasing said ingredients may be wound up in a substrate (e.g., by circumferentially wrapping the ingredients and/or envelope in the substrate, perhaps in multiple layers such that a cross section of the assembly of the wick/chemical ingredients/ and any water-permeable envelope encasing the ingredients shows the wick to resemble a spiral form around the remainder of the assembly).

Representative Containers

Typically plastic or other such polymeric material is used to make a container of the present invention. For example, the bottom wall, side wall, and top wall may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polytetrafluorethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, Nylon 6, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polyethersulfone, and other such polymeric materials. As stated above, one or more of the bottom wall, side wall, and top wall may be integrally formed with one another. Or one or more of these components may be formed separately and joined to one another. Furthermore, one or more of these components may be releasably engaged to one another. As an example, a separately formed top wall may be threaded in such a way that the top wall can be screwed onto the uppermost lip of the sidewall, which would be threaded to receive the top wall. The top wall could be threaded onto the side wall after application of an adhesive, solvent, or other material to fuse, weld, or join the two components together so that they are not releasably engaged. Alternatively, the top wall could be threaded onto the side wall so that the components are releasably engaged. For some versions of the present invention, such an embodiment may be used if the container employs one or more replaceable components, such as a replaceable wick/chemical engine, i.e., after the portable vaporizer is used, the wick/chemical engine is disposed of. Before a user employed the portable vaporizer again, a new wick/chemical engine is inserted into the vaporizer. Also, one or more walls of the container may be attached to insulating materials that help prevent the loss of heat through said walls. For example, various kinds of shrink-wrap materials may be applied to one or more walls of the container. Such materials may also be adapted to receive inks or other coloring agents so that logos, images, graphics, textual strings, and other such visually detectable characters are associated with the container (e.g., by printing on the shrink wrap material).

Typically the internal volume of the container will be less than about 40 ounces, suitably less than about 30 ounces, more suitably less than about 25 ounces, particularly less than about 20 ounces, and particularly less than about 15 ounces, but more than about 5 ounces.

As noted above, various designs of the container, wick, chemical heating engine, and any optional, water-containing, rupturable cell are possible, so long as the device, once activated, releases water vapor and any optional ingredients to help effect a desired environment proximate to the portable device. Also, in some versions of the invention any liquid-permeable envelope enveloping the chemical ingredients that compose the heating engine may be made so that the envelope possesses a wick-like function. Or, in some versions, no wick is employed, and instead the chemical heating engine is adapted to produce vapor over shorter time durations. But because a wick (or a higher basis-weight envelope possessing sufficient liquid absorbent capacity) provides those versions employing a wick with desirable technical features discussed elsewhere, representative versions of the present invention will typically have a wick or wick-like feature.

Additional Representative Versions of Portable Vaporizers of the Present Invention

Some versions of a portable vaporizer of the present invention are described above.

FIG. 2A representatively illustrates a perspective view of another example of a portable device of the present invention. Container 40 comprises a bottom wall, a side wall, and a top wall. The top wall incorporates openings through which a pull tab 42 extends.

FIG. 2B representatively shows a perspective view of the portable device of FIG. 2A with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features. A chemical heating engine 44 is sandwiched between portions of a wick 46 that has the general shape of an inverted “U”, with the chemical heating engine positioned proximate to the curvilinear portion of the U shape. The wick is attached to the bottom of the container. A rupturable cell 48 contains water 50, with the cell attached to the pull tab 42.

FIG. 3A representatively illustrates a plan view of another example of a portable device of the present invention with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features. In this depicted embodiment, the container does not comprise a rupturable cell containing liquid comprising water. Instead, a user adds liquid comprising water to the container through the openings in the top. In one version of the invention, different amounts of water may be recommended, thereby effecting the chemical reaction(s) employed by the heat engine to generate heat (e.g., as more water is added, there becomes available a larger and larger “heat sink” for the generated heat, thereby potentially decreasing the overall temperature increase corresponding to the heat energy that is released to, and absorbed by, the water; also, depending on how much water is added, the chemical engine may be entirely above the water level, partially immersed in the added water, or fully immersed in the added water, which may impact, for example, the rate of reaction—e.g., if the chemical engine relies on an exothermic solvation reaction, and therefore water serves as a reactant in the heat-generating reaction). This in, in turn, affects performance of the portable vaporizer.

In the depicted embodiment, a chemical engine 60 is positioned within a wick 62. The wick is attached to the bottom of the container.

FIG. 3B representatively shows a plan view of the portable device of FIG. 3A, but rotated 90 degrees, with portions of the device cut away to show selected internal features.

Representative Business Arrangements by Which a Business Entity can Have an Appliance Designed and/or Assembled by Other Business Entities

One business entity (e.g., a seller—such as a person, partnership, corporation, or the like) may work with one or more other business entities under a variety of business arrangements such that other business entities participate in the design and/or assembly of a portable vaporizer of the present invention. Often a business entity works with one or more business entities in other countries where the prevailing wage structure offers lower overhead and/or direct labor and/or other costs associated with making a product. Alternatively, one business entity works with another so each is able to specialize in activities viewed as that entity's core competency. Thus one company having knowledge about consumers' preferences for products in a given product category, e.g., products addressing skin care, may work with another business entity that is good at making products, or components of such products. Accordingly, one business entity may work with one or more other business entities under a business arrangement such that said one or more other business entities design, assemble, and/or market a portable/personal vaporizer of the present invention.

In one example of a business arrangement, a seller in the United States sells a portable vaporizer of the present invention that is assembled by another business entity (e.g., an entity—e.g., a contract manufacturer—in China with manufacturing expertise in the area of making products comprising nonwoven; and/or in the area of plastics and/or injection molding to make plastic containers or components; and/or in the area of designing and/or making chemical heating engines or components thereof). Frequently the seller will provide some or all of the specifications for the product based on the seller's knowledge of the United States market for that specific product (e.g., the price that a U.S. consumer is typically willing to pay for a product of that type; some or all of the product specifications such that the product provides the anticipated benefit(s) sought by the consumer when purchasing the product; etc.). In some business arrangements, the seller and overseas manufacturer may collaborate to optimize product performance and cost of goods sold for the intended marketing niche.

In another example of a business arrangement, a seller in the United States sells a portable vaporizer that is assembled by business entities in another country (e.g., China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Brazil, etc.), with each business entity undertaking one or more activities under the business arrangement (e.g., one entity forms a substrate or web that is used when making the wick; one entity forms the plastic container into which the wick is inserted; one company forms the chemical heating engine that will be employed in the portable vaporizer; etc.).

In another example of a business arrangement, a seller in the United States engages in activities in which one or more business entities in another country participate in the design of a personal vaporizer of the present invention.

Such business arrangements will typically implicate negotiated agreements, most of which are put into written form and signed. But arrangements can also include oral understandings between business entities. Frequently a business arrangement is made well in advance of one entity selling a product that is designed and/or made and/or marketed through the efforts of more than one business entity, perhaps one, two, or more years prior to the business entities undertaking activities to design, make, and sell the product (e.g., a portable vaporizer of the present invention).

Representative Methods by Which a User may Employ a Portable Vaporizer of the Present Invention

A user may use a portable vaporizer of the present invention to help alleviate symptoms of a cold, flu, allergy, sinus problem, and the like. Typically such ailments are accompanied by symptoms such as congestion in one or more nasal or respiratory passages. To help relieve symptoms of such upper-respiratory illnesses, a portable vaporizer is positioned in the hands of a user suffering from such symptoms. The user then introduces water to the container, either by pouring water into the container, or by releasing water held by a cell inside the container. Once the water is added or released, the chemical heating engine and wick employed by the portable vaporizer are in fluid communication with at least a portion of the water. For purposes of this application, the term “fluid communication” means that the component, such as a wick, either directly contacts water, or indirectly contacts water—as through some intermediate component or components that contact, and are able to conduct or transmit, some portion of the contacted water so that it then contacts the wick.

Once the added water contacts the chemical ingredients of the heating engine, heat is released (e.g., through an exothermic reaction). The released heat is transferred to the water, causing the water's temperature to rise. As portions of the water reach a temperature at or above the water's boiling point, the water is vaporized. A user of the activated vaporizer may then position the vaporizer so that he or she is able to inhale some portion of the vapor that is being produced (along with any optional ingredients, such as menthol, eucalyptus, or camphor).

A user may also use a portable vaporizer of the present invention to help achieve a desired emotive state. Typically such a vaporizer is made available to a purchaser/user in a package/receptacle having a statement on, in, or proximate to said package/receptacle that associates the vaporizer with one or more desired emotive states (or other features or attributes of the personal/portable vaporizer), such as those signified by the following alphanumeric strings: “personal”, “vapor”, “relief”, “well”, “convenience”, “convenient”, “disposable”, “soothe”, “soothing”, “aroma”, “allergy”, “portable”, “non-electrical”, “warm”, “warmth”, “heat”, “pamper”, “pampering”, “ritual”, “spa”, “treatment”, “system”, “effective”, “disposable”, “botanical”, “vitamin”, “relax”, “peace”, “energy”, “energize”, “sex”, “sensuality”, “sensual”, “spirit”, “spiritual”, “clean”, “fresh”, “mountain”, “country”, “zest”, “sea”, “sky”, “health”, “hygiene”, “water”, “waterfall”, “refresh”, “recharge”, “rejuvenate”, “mind”, “senses”, “aromatherapy”, “harmony”, “balance”, “revitalize”, “invigorate”, “stimulate”, “caress”, “uplift”, “relief”, “biosphere”, “space”, and derivatives thereof. To help induce such an emotive state in the mind of a user of the personal vaporizer, a receptacle bearing one or more such alphanumeric strings, the receptacle containing one or more personal vaporizers, is placed in the hands of a user. The user opens the receptacle to access a personal vaporizer. The user then introduces water to the vaporizer's container, either by pouring water into the container, or by releasing water held by a cell inside the container. Once the water is added or released, the chemical heating engine and wick employed by the portable vaporizer are in fluid communication with at least a portion of the water.

Once the added water contacts the chemical ingredients of the heating engine, heat is released (e.g., through an exothermic reaction). The released heat is transferred to the water, causing the water's temperature to rise. As portions of the water reach a temperature at or above the water's boiling point, the water is vaporized. A user of the activated vaporizer may then position the vaporizer so that he or she is able to detect—by sight, or smell, or touch, or sound, or some combination of these—one or more signals effected by the operating vaporizer.

In another version of the invention, a user may use a portable vaporizer to direct heat and/or energy to skin or tissue to, for example, open pores and/or provide moisture to the contacted skin or tissue. To do this, a portable vaporizer is positioned in the hands of a user. The user then introduces liquid comprising water to the container, either by pouring the liquid into the container, or by releasing liquid held by a cell inside the container. Once the liquid comprising water is added or released, the chemical heating engine and wick employed by the portable vaporizer are in fluid communication with at least a portion of the liquid. For purposes of this application, the term “fluid communication” means that the component, such as a wick, either directly contacts water, or indirectly contacts water—as through some intermediate component or components that contact, and are able to conduct or transmit, some portion of the contacted water so that it then contacts the wick.

Once the added water contacts the chemical ingredients of the heating engine, heat is released (e.g., through an exothermic reaction). The released heat is transferred to the water, causing the water's temperature to rise. As portions of the water reach a temperature at or above the water's boiling point, the water is vaporized. A user of the activated vaporizer may then position the vaporizer so that he or she is able to direct the heated vapor, plus any optional ingredients, to a selected part of the body (e.g., elbow, knee, face, hand, feet, etc.).

Representative Media and Methods by which Consumers, Users, and/or Others May be Made Aware of a Portable Device of the Present Invention

A manufacturing company or retailer may use a number of different media and ways to communicate to consumers that a portable vaporizer is available to help address the symptoms of upper-respiratory ailments; or to help effect a environment that helps evoke an emotive state sought by a user of the portable vaporizer (e.g., those feelings or experiences associated with the term “spa”); or for helping open the pores of skin; or to treat, as through the transmitting of heat, skin, tissue, muscles, etc.; or for other such uses.

The manufacturer or distributor of a portable vaporizer of the present invention may fashion messages, statements, or copy to be transmitted or made available to a purchaser, consumer, or user of said disposable absorbent article. Such messages, statements, or copy may be fashioned to help facilitate or establish an association in the mind of a user of the vaporizer between a portable vaporizer of the present invention, or use thereof, and one or more mental states, psychological states, states of well being, emotions, feelings, experiences, or the like. The communication, statements, or copy may include various alphanumeric strings, including, for example: “personal”, “vapor”, “relief”, “cold”, “flu”, “headache”, “congestion”, “sinus”, “pressure”, “release”, “open”, “airway”, “space”, “well”, “convenience”, “convenient”, “disposable”, “soothe”, “soothing”, “aroma”, “menthol”, “eucalyptus”, “camphor”, “allergy”, “portable”, “non-electrical”, “warm”, “warmth”, “heat”, “pamper”, “pampering”, “ritual”, “spa”, “treatment”, “system”, “effective”, “disposable”, “botanical”, “vitamin”, “relax”, “peace”, “energy”, “energize”, “sex”, “sensuality”, “sensual”, “spirit”, “spiritual”, “clean”, “fresh”, “mountain”, “country”, “zest”, “sea”, “sky”, “health”, “hygiene”, “water”, “waterfall”, “refresh”, “recharge”, “rejuvenate”, “mind”, “senses”, “aromatherapy”, “harmony”, “balance”, “revitalize”, “invigorate”, “stimulate”, “caress”, “uplift”, “relief”, “biosphere”, or derivatives or combinations thereof. It should be noted that each term appearing in quotes in the preceding list may be in any font, style, color, etc.—and the quotes likely would not appear around the term when the term is employed. These alphanumeric strings may be used either alone, adjacent to, or in combination with, other alphanumeric strings.

In one embodiment, the communication, statements, or copy associate a portable vaporizer of the present invention and the ability to create a personal environment or atmosphere. In another embodiment, the communication, statements, or copy associate a portable vaporizer of the present invention with breathing comfort. In another embodiment, the communication, statements, or copy associate a portable vaporizer of the present invention with heating, treating, or providing moisture to skin or tissue. In another embodiment, the communication, statements, or copy associate a personal vaporizer of the present invention and a registered or common-law trademark of the seller, manufacturer, and/or distributor of the portable vaporizer. In another embodiment, the communication, statements, or copy associate a portable vaporizer of the present invention and a registered or common-law trademark of the seller, manufacturer, and/or distributor of a second article of manufacturer that may be used in conjunction with the portable vaporizer. For example, a manufacturer or seller of the portable vaporizer might co-promote the vaporizer, and its brand name, logo, or trademark, with the trademark, brand name, and/or logo of a pain reliever, decongestant, facial tissue, expectorant, lozenges or other products designed to alleviate symptoms of a sore throat, or other products adapted to address the various symptoms associated with cold, flu, allergies, congestion, and the like. Alternatively, a manufacturer or seller of the portable vaporizer might co-promote the vaporizer and its brand name, logo, or trademark, with the trademark, brand name, and/or logo of products typically associated with helping provide a spa-like experience, e.g., aromatherapy (such as that provided by candles, incense, electrical or other devices for producing one or more aromas, etc.); devices for producing color; devices for producing sounds, such as sound machines adapted to produce sounds reminiscent of the beach, rain, thunder, etc.; and the like). Or a manufacturer or seller of the portable vaporizer might co-promote the vaporizer and its brand name, logo, or trademark, with the trademark, brand name, and/or logo of products typically associated with treating, moisturizing, or caring for skin, e.g., moisturizing lotions or pads; exfoliating formulations or pads; formulations comprising beneficial skin-treatment agents, such as emollients, humectants, vitamins, microspheres, antioxidants, and other such agents; heating-therapy ointments; etc.

Messages, copy, statements, and/or alphanumeric strings like those referred to above may be used either alone, adjacent to, or in combination with, other alphanumeric strings. The communication, statements, message, or copy could take the form of (i.e., be embodied in a tangible medium such as) a newspaper advertisement, a television advertisement, a radio or other audio advertisement, items mailed directly to addressees, items emailed to addresses, Internet Web pages or other such postings, free standing inserts, coupons, various promotions (e.g., trade promotions), co-promotions with other companies, copy and the like, boxes and packages and/or receptacles containing the product (in this case an appliance of the present invention), and other such forms of disseminating information to consumers or potential consumers.

It should be noted that when associating statements, copy, messages, or other communications with a package/receptacle (e.g., by printing text, images, symbols, graphics, color(s), or the like on the package/receptacle; or by placing printed instructions in the package/receptacle; or by associating or attaching such instructions, a coupon, or other materials to the package/receptacle; or the like) containing one or more portable vaporizers of the present invention, the materials of construction of said package/receptacle may be selected to reduce, impede, or eliminate the passage of water or water vapor through at least a portion of the package/receptacle. Furthermore, the materials of construction of said package/receptacle may be selected to minimize or impede the passage of light through said package/receptacle, including minimizing or impeding the passage of electromagnetic waves of a selected wavelength or wavelengths.

For purposes of this application, “packages,” “envelopes,” “bags,” “packets,” “receptacles,” and the like are interchangeable in the sense that they refer to any material adapted to enclose and hold either individual personal vaporizers (as in, for example, an individual packet containing a single personal vaporizer), or a plurality of personal vaporizers (as in a flexible bag made of film or plastic container containing a plurality of personal vaporizers, whether or not each of the individual vaporizers are enclosed and held in a separate material—such as individual packets).

In some embodiments of the present invention, a package/receptacle will contain not only one or more portable vaporizers of the present invention, but other articles of manufacture. For example, a second article of manufacture might be one or more of those described in the preceding paragraphs (e.g., a pain reliever, decongestant, facial tissue, expectorant, lozenges or other products designed to alleviate symptoms of a sore throat, or other products adapted to address the various symptoms associated with cold, flu, allergies, congestion, and the like; aromatherapy products (such as that provided by candles, incense, electrical or other devices for producing one or more aromas, etc.); devices for producing color; devices for producing sounds, such as sound machines adapted to produce sounds reminiscent of the beach, rain, thunder, etc.; moisturizing lotions or pads; exfoliating formulations or pads; formulations comprising beneficial skin-treatment agents, such as emollients, humectants, vitamins, microspheres, antioxidants, and other such agents; heating-therapy ointments; and many other such articles of manufacture that may be used in combination with a personal/portable vaporizer of the present invention). It should be noted that such combinations may be marketed and packaged as described in the preceding paragraphs.

Reference now will be made to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not as a limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made of this invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

EXAMPLES Prophetic Example 1

A suitable container, like that used for Great Value™ brand coffee creamer (with a net weight of 8 ounces), a product available at Wal-Mart stores, and with a shape and appearance like that depicted in FIG. 1A (along with a screw-on cap described in more detail below), is used. The container is made of a high density polypropylene, and has an internal volume of about 400 cubic centimeters. The container is molded into a shape which is easy to hold and which can accept a suitable screw-on cap (or top) (again, similar to the representative version depicted in FIG. 1A, but without a plunger protruding through the top wall).

For the representative version formed for this example, a screw-on cap, adapted to screw on to the aforementioned polyethylene bottle, is made with a polymeric material, Objet Veroblue Full Cure 830, available from Object Geometries, Inc., 133 Bridge Street, Manchester, Mass. 01944. The screw-on cap—i.e., the top wall of the container—is formed to have openings radiating outward from the center of the cap (again, analogous to the flower-like pattern of openings depicted in the top wall of the representative version shown in FIG. 1A, but with no actuator or plunger protruding through the top wall).

A polystyrene shrink-wrap material available under the designator PWSL, WSLO, COEX-PLASTI-SHIELD, SPI-WRAP, TRI-PLAS, PLASTI-GRIP LABELS is obtained from American Fuji Seal, 1051 Bloomfield Road, Bardstown, Ky. 40004. This material is applied to the exterior surface of the side wall of the container. The shrink-wrap material serves to further insulate the container against heat loss, and may serve as a medium or surface on which statements, graphics, logos, or other such images or alphanumeric characters may be associated (e.g., through printing).

A suitable heat engine is obtained from a survival ration package, available under the designator HotPack® Meals available from Canland UK, Ltd. The product employs a heat engine containing a mixture of aluminum powder and calcium oxide powder.

According to the known heats of solution and heats of reaction for aluminum powder and calcium oxide powder, a heat engine weighing approximately 20 to 30 grams could theoretically deliver about 15,000 to 20,000 calories of heat when activated by the addition of a suitable amount of water. This amount of heat will adequately heat and vaporize water for a portable vaporizer according to the following example.

If the desired rate and duration of water evaporation from a portable vaporizer is approximately 0.8 grams of water per minute for a duration of 15 minutes, a chemical heat engine can be utilized which produces the required calories of heat to evaporate 12 grams of water. (0.8 grams/minute×a 15 minutes=12 grams). Evaporating 12 grams of water requires a minimum theoretical amount of 6500 calories of heat based on the heat of vaporization of water being 540 calories/gram. Accordingly, the chemical heat engine is sized to produce more than 6500 calories because of typical thermal losses and inefficiencies in heat transfer as well as the additional need for heat to increase the temperature of the water from starting temperature up to 100 deg. C. For example if 50 grams of water is added to the vaporizer for activation and the water is at 20 deg. C. starting temperature, then an additional theoretical amount of heat equal 50 grams×1 cal/gram/deg. C.×(100−20) degrees C.=4000 calories.

A wick is wrapped circumferentially around the heat engine. In this representative example, a high-porosity, cellulosic pulp sheet sold as HPZ pulp by Buckeye Technologies is employed as the wick. Buckeye Technologies reports that this pulp has a Frazier porosity of 305 cubic feet per minute per square foot and a bulk of 6.3 cubic centimeters per gram. The pulp sheet is determined to have a basis weight of about 800 grams per square meter, and is measured as having an absorbent capacity between about 4.5 to 5.5 grams of water per gram of pulp sheet. The absorbency is determined by placing a pulp sheet in a 2000 milliliter beaker filled with tap water at room temperature. The sheet is dropped into the beaker—without a weight placed on the sheet—and allowed to become fully immersed in the water. Typically the sheet is left in the water for 1 minute, and then removed. After allowing excess water to drip from the pulp sheet for 15 seconds, the mass of the sheet is determined. By measuring the mass of the sheet before it's immersion in water, and subtracting this mass from the mass of the sheet with water, the mass of absorbed water (for this test) can be determined. The total weight of the wick in this representative example is about 14 grams, with a total area of about 185 square centimeters. The substrate is wrapped around the heat engine in circumferential fashion such that the engine is completely enveloped by the wick.

The aforementioned representative version of a portable vaporizer of the present invention is activated by adding 50 mL of water through the opening in the top wall and into the container. After approximately 1-2 minutes, visible steam is observed coming through the openings in the top wall. The temperature of the outer surface of the side wall of the container rises above 45 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes but does not exceed 55 degrees Celsius. After approximately 1-2 minutes, an audible “bubbling” provides a sensory cue to the user that the vaporizer is functioning.

Prophetic Example 2

The same representative embodiment described in Prophetic Example 1 is made, with the exception that approximately 0.25 grams of a fragrance is applied either in substantially parallel bands across the 4-inch width of the wick, or by placing droplets on the wick's surface at various locations. This representative version of the vaporizer operates in a fashion similar to that described in Prophetic Example 1, with the added feature that fragrance is detected for approximately 15 minutes after initial activation of the portable vaporizer.

Example 3

A suitable container, like that used for Great Value™ brand coffee creamer (with a net weight of 8 ounces), a product available at Wal-Mart stores, and with a shape and appearance like that depicted in FIG. 1A (along with a screw-on cap described in more detail below), was used. The container is made of a high density polypropylene, and has an internal volume of about 400 cubic centimeters. The container is molded into a shape which is easy to hold and which can accept a suitable screw-on cap (or top) (again, similar to the representative version depicted in FIG. 1A, but with out a plunger protruding through the top wall).

A polystyrene shrink-wrap material available corresponding to designator 11 mil Thermo-Shield® Coex Plasti-Shield was obtained from American Fuji Seal, 1051 Bloomfield Road, Bardstown, Ky. 40004. Two layers of this material were applied to the exterior surface of the side wall of the container. To do so, a 240 mm×122 mm piece was wrapped to produce a cylinder with the ends fixed to each other using 0.5″ Scotch® Brand double-sided tape #9482PC01003091118. There was approximately 0.5″ of overlap between the polystyrene ends. The cylinder was placed around the container and heat shrunk to attach it firmly to the container using a commercial MHT heat gun 750. Two such applications were made to produce a container with two layers of insulating material. The shrink-wrap material serves to further insulate the container against heat loss.

A commercial heat engine, designated as an Individual Flameless Heater, was obtained from a HotPack® Self-Heating Nutritious Meal sold by Canland UK (Hot Pack) Ltd., Wellington House Lower Icknield Way Longwick Bucks HP27 9RZ United Kingdom. The Individual Flameless Heater weighed approximately 27.3 grams. This chemical engine was made up of a nonwoven, liquid-permeable envelope having three separate compartments, i.e., the envelope—which had overall dimensions of 12 centimeters by 16 centimeters—was itself divided into three compartments, with the nonwoven material joined or fused in such a way that the chemical ingredients—a fine powder of aluminum and calcium oxide—within each compartment could not migrate between said compartments. The lines at which the nonwoven facings were joined to one another to create the compartments were located 5.3 cm and 10.6 cm from one end of the envelope (along the 16 centimeter dimension). In this example, two compartments were used from the Individual Flameless Heater for use as the vaporizer's heat engine to provide a mass of about 14.4 grams of reactive chemical.

A high-porosity, cellulosic pulp sold as HPZ pulp by Buckeye Technologies Inc., 1001 Tillman Memphis, Tenn. 38112, was employed as the wick. The HPZ pulp was obtained in bale/sheet form with a thickness of 0.124 cm and cut to dimensions of 17.8 cm×10.2 cm. The total weight of the wick was approximately 14.2 grams with a total area of about 181 square centimeters. Buckeye Technologies reports that this pulp sheet as having a Frazier porosity of 305 cubic feet per minute per square foot and a bulk of 6.3 cubic centimeters per gram. The pulp sheet was determined to have a basis weight of about 800 grams per square meter and an absorbent capacity between about 4.5 to 5.5 grams of water per gram of pulp sheet. The absorbent capacity was determined by placing a pulp sheet in a 2000 milliliter beaker filled with tap water at room temperature. The sheet was dropped into the beaker—without a weight placed on the sheet—and allowed to become fully immersed in the water. Typically the sheet was left in the water for 1 minute, and then removed. After allowing excess water to drip from the pulp sheet for 15 seconds, the mass of the sheet was determined. By measuring the mass of the sheet before it's immersion in water, and subtracting this mass from the mass of the sheet with water, the mass of absorbed water was determined.

Two compartments of the heat engine were folded along the seam where the nonwoven facings were joined to one another to form the two compartments—one on top of the other, resulting in a chemical engine with approximate dimensions of 12 cm by 5.3 cm. The compartments were manipulated so that the fine powder contained therein (i.e., the chemical ingredients of the chemical heat engine), were spread relatively uniformly throughout the interior of each of the two compartments. The 12 cm dimension of the chemical engine was aligned flush with the 10.2 cm dimension of the wick. The wick was then wrapped around the heat engine in circumferential fashion such that the engine is completely enveloped by the wick on all vertical sides, forming a cylinder-like wick-and-heat-engine assembly. Excess material of the liquid-permeable envelope was folded inward so that the heat engine was entirely within the wick. The outermost ends of the wick were fixed to the rest of the wick material using staples at both the top and bottom of the resulting, cylinder-like wick/heat engine assembly.

A screw-on cap, adapted to screw on to the aforementioned polyethylene bottle, was made with a polymeric material, Objet Veroblue Full Cure 830, available from Object Geometries, Inc., 133 Bridge Street, Manchester, Mass. 01944. The screw-on cap—i.e., the top wall of the container—was formed to have openings radiating outward from the center of the cap to provide an area that would allow water to be poured through it and allow the passage of vaporized water and/or fragrance. The cap also had vertical protrusions extending downward to attach to the wick and heat engine assembly. The overall appearance of the cap, or top wall, was much like that depicted in FIG. 1A, with the exception that there was no central opening to accommodate a plunger, and no plunger assembly inserted through such central opening. The other, flower-like arrangement of openings was present in the screw-on cap.

The downwardly extending protrusions are analogous to the prongs 30 depicted in FIG. 1B, except: (1) the prongs/protrusions in this representative example were shorter, extending about 5 cm from the inner surface of the central location of the top wall into the interior of the container, and (2) the prongs/protrusions in this representative example were fewer in number—2 rather than 4.

The wick and heating engine assembly was attached to the cap using the cap protrusions/prongs. The prongs were inserted into the cylinder-like, chemical-heat-engine/wick assembly. A suitable fragrance in the amount of about 0.25 g was added to the exterior surface of the upper portion of the wick (i.e., that portion of the wick closer to the top wall) using a dropper. The cap was then screwed onto the container. The vaporizer weighed 81.5 grams fully assembled without water. 80 grams of tap water at 20 deg. C. was added by pouring the water from a beaker into the vaporizer through the openings in the cap.

The surface of the pool formed by the added water was approximately 2.1 cm from the bottom of the container. Thus approximately 2 cm of the wick was submersed in the water, with the remaining 8.2 cm extending above the surface of the water to a location proximate to the inner surface of the top wall (with prongs/protrusions extending inwardly from the top wall into the wick/heat-engine structure). Within the cylinder-like, chemical-heat-engine/wick assembly, approximately 2.1 cm of the liquid-permeable envelope of the chemical engine was submersed, with approximately 8.2 cm extending above the surface of the water (because the nonwoven, liquid-permeable envelope was folded somewhat, the total of 10.2 cm is less than the fully extended dimension of 12 cm). Fragrance added to the wick was above the surface of the pool of water.

Steam was visible after about 3 minutes and an audible bubbling sound provided an additional cue to the user that the vaporizer was functioning. The average rate of water evaporated was 1.4 gram/minute during the interval from min 5 to minute 15 (see FIG. 4). The total amount of water evaporated was 21 grams in 20 minutes of vaporizer operation.

The exterior temperature of the vaporizer was measured on the outside surface of the insulating material using an infrared thermometer. After approximately 3 minutes, the exterior temperature of the vaporizer rose from approximately 20 degrees Celsius to approximately 55 degrees Celsius and maintained that temperature for a duration of more than 10 minutes (see FIG. 5). This temperature provided warmth that was detectable to the user and provided a signal to the user that the vaporizing was functioning. Fragrance was detected proximate to this representative example of a portable/personal vaporizer for a duration of at least 20 minutes.

Example 4

A suitable container, like that used for Great Value™ brand coffee creamer (with a net weight of 8 ounces), a product available at Wal-Mart stores, and with a shape and appearance like that depicted in FIG. 1A (along with a screw-on cap described in more detail below), is used. The container is made of a high density polypropylene, and has an internal volume of about 400 cubic centimeters. The container is molded into a shape which is easy to hold and which can accept a suitable screw-on cap (or top) (again, similar to the representative version depicted in FIG. 1A, but without a plunger protruding through the top wall).

A polystyrene shrink-wrap material available under the designator 11 mil Thermo-Shield® Coex Plasti-Shield was obtained from American Fuji Seal, 1051 Bloomfield Road, Bardstown, Ky. 40004. Two layers of this material were applied to the exterior surface of the side wall of the container. To do so, a 240 mm×122 mm piece was wrapped to produce a cylinder with the ends fixed to each other using 0.5″ Scotch® Brand double-sided tape #9482PC01003091118. There was approximately 0.5″ of overlap between the polystyrene ends. The cylinder was placed around the container and heat shrunk to attach it firmly to the container using a commercial MHT heat gun 750. Two of such applications were made to produce a container with two layers of insulating material. The shrink-wrap material serves to further insulate the container against heat loss.

A commercial heat engine, designated as an Individual Flameless Heater, was obtained from a HotPack® Self-Heating Nutritious Meal sold by Canland UK (Hot Pack) Ltd., Wellington House Lower Icknield Way Longwick Bucks HP27 9RZ United Kingdom. The Individual Flameless Heater weighed approximately 27.3 grams. This chemical engine was made up of a nonwoven, liquid-permeable envelope having three separate compartments, i.e., the envelope—which had overall dimensions of 12 centimeters by 16 centimeters—was itself divided into three compartments, with the nonwoven material joined or fused in such a way that the chemical ingredients—a fine powder having the appearance of aluminum and calcium oxide—within each compartment could not migrate between said compartments. The lines at which the nonwoven facings were joined to one another to create the compartments were located 5.3 cm and 10.6 cm from one end of the envelope (along the 16 centimeter dimension). In this example, all three compartments were used from the Individual Flameless Heater for use as the vaporizer's heat engine to provide a mass of about 21.6 grams of reactive chemical.

A high-porosity, cellulosic pulp sold as HPZ pulp by Buckeye Technologies Inc., 1001 Tillman Memphis, Tenn. 38112, was employed as the wick. The HPZ pulp was obtained in bale/sheet form with a thickness of 0.124 cm and cut to dimensions of 17.8 cm×10.2 cm. The total weight of the wick was approximately 14.2 grams with a total area of about 181 square centimeters. Buckeye Technologies reports that this pulp sheet has a Frazier porosity of 305 cubic feet per minute per square foot and a bulk of 6.3 cubic centimeters per gram. The pulp sheet was determined to have a basis weight of about 800 grams per square meter and an absorbent capacity between about 4.5 to 5.5 grams of water per gram of pulp sheet. The absorbency was determined by placing a pulp sheet in a 2000 milliliter beaker filled with tap water at room temperature. The sheet was dropped into the beaker—without a weight placed on the sheet—and allowed to become fully immersed in the water. Typically the sheet was left in the water for 1 minute, and then removed. After allowing excess water to drip from the pulp sheet for 15 seconds, the mass of the sheet was determined. By measuring the mass of the sheet before it's immersion in water, and subtracting this mass from the mass of the sheet with water, the mass of absorbed water was determined.

The three compartments of the heat engine were folded along the seams where the nonwoven facings were joined to one another to form the three compartments—one on top of the other, resulting in a chemical engine with approximate dimensions of 12 cm by 5.3 cm. The compartments were manipulated so that the fine powder contained therein (i.e., the chemical ingredients of the chemical heat engine), were spread relatively uniformly throughout the interior of each of the three compartments. The 12 cm dimension of the chemical engine was aligned flush with the 10.2 cm dimension of the wick. The wick was then wrapped around the heat engine in circumferential fashion such that the engine was completely enveloped by the wick on all vertical sides, forming a cylinder-like wick-and-heat-engine assembly. Excess material of the liquid-permeable envelope was folded inward so that the heat engine was entirely within the wick. The outermost ends of the wick were fixed to the rest of the wick material using staples at both the top and bottom of the resulting, cylinder-like wick/heat engine assembly.

A screw-on cap, adapted to screw on to the aforementioned polyethylene bottle, was made with a polymeric material, Objet Veroblue Full Cure 830, available from Object Geometries, Inc., 133 Bridge Street, Manchester, Mass. 01944. The screw-on cap—i.e., the top wall of the container—was formed to have openings radiating outward from the center of the cap to provide an area that would allow water to be poured through it and allow the passage of vaporized water and/or fragrance. The cap also had vertical protrusions extending downward to attach to the wick and heat engine assembly. The overall appearance of the cap, or top wall, was much like that depicted in FIG. 1A, with the exception that there was no central opening for a plunger assembly, and no plunger assembly inserted through such central opening. The other, flower-like arrangement of openings was present in the screw-on cap.

The downwardly extending protrusions are analogous to the prongs 30 depicted in FIG. 1B, except: (1) the prongs/protrusions in this representative example were shorter, extending about 5 cm from the inner surface of the central location of the top wall into the interior of the container, and (2) the prongs/protrusions in this representative example were fewer in number—2 rather than the 4 depicted in FIG. 1B.

The wick and heating engine assembly was attached to the cap using the cap protrusions/prongs. The prongs were inserted into the cylinder-like, chemical-heat-engine/wick assembly. A suitable fragrance in the amount of about 0.25 g was added to the exterior surface of the upper portion of the wick (i.e., that portion of the wick closer to the top wall) using a dropper. The cap-was then screwed onto the container. The vaporizer weighed 81.5 grams fully assembled without water. 100 grams of tap water at 20 deg. C. was added by pouring the water from a beaker into the vaporizer through the openings in the cap.

The surface of the pool formed by the added water was approximately 2.5 cm from the bottom. Thus approximately 2.5 cm of the wick was submersed in the water, with the remaining 7.7 cm extending above the surface of the water to a location proximate to the inner surface of the top wall (with prongs/protrusions extending inwardly from the top wall into the wick/heat-engine structure. Within the cylinder-like, chemical-heat-engine/wick assembly, approximately 2.5 cm of the liquid-permeable envelope of the chemical engine was submersed, with approximately 7.7 cm extending above the surface of the water (because the nonwoven, liquid-permeable envelope was folded somewhat, the total of 10.2 cm is less than the fully extended dimension of 12 cm). Fragrance added to the wick was above the surface of the pool of water.

Steam was visible after about 2-3 minutes and an audible bubbling sound provided an additional cue to the user that the vaporizer was functioning. The average rate of water evaporated was 2.4 gram/minute during the interval from min 5 to minute 15 (see FIG. 6). The total amount of water evaporated was 37.1 grams in 20 minutes of vaporizer operation and 39.88 grams in 25 minutes of vaporizer operation.

The exterior temperature of the vaporizer was measured on the outside surface of the insulating material using an infrared thermometer. After approximately 2 minutes, the exterior temperature of the vaporizer rose from about 24 degrees Celsius to about 65 degrees Celsius and maintained that temperature for a duration of about 10 minutes (see FIG. 7). This temperature provided warmth that was detectable to the user and provided a signal to the user that the vaporizing was functioning. Fragrance was detected proximate to the vaporizer for a duration of at least 20 minutes. 

1. A method of addressing upper-respiratory health symptoms of a user, the method comprising the steps of: positioning in the hands of a user a personal vaporizer comprising a container adapted to contain liquid, the container comprising a body having a bottom wall, at least one sidewall connected to said bottom wall, and an opposing top wall connected to said sidewall, wherein the top wall has at least one opening; a water-activated, chemical heating engine located inside said container; and a wick, wherein the wick is located proximate to said chemical heating engine; introducing liquid comprising water to the container so that the wick and chemical heating engine are in fluid communication with at least a portion of said water, thereby releasing heat and increasing the temperature of said water such that a portion of the water vaporizes; and placing the vaporizer so that at least a portion of said vapor exiting the top wall may contact the nasal passages, throat, or lungs of a user.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein liquid comprising water is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein an additional material is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the personal vaporizer further comprises a cell that holds liquid comprising water, and wherein the step of introducing liquid to the container is accomplished by a user releasing the liquid comprising water from said cell.
 5. A method of evoking a spa-like experience in the mind of a user, the method comprising the steps of: placing in the hands of a user the package comprising a receptacle, wherein a statement is disposed on or in said receptacle, wherein said statement associates an enclosed personal vaporizer with an alphanumeric string, and wherein the alphanumeric string is “personal”, “vapor”, “relief”, “well”, “convenience”, “convenient”, “disposable”, “soothe”, “soothing”, “aroma”, “allergy”, “portable”, “non-electrical”, “warm”, “warmth”, “heat”, “pamper”, “pampering”, “ritual”, “spa”, “treatment”, “system”, “effective”, “disposable”, “botanical”, “vitamin”, “relax”, “peace”, “energy”, “energize”, “sex”, “sensuality”, “sensual”, “spirit”, “spiritual”, “clean”, “fresh”, “mountain”, “country”, “zest”, “sea”, “sky”, “health”, “hygiene”, “water”, “waterfall”, “refresh”, “recharge”, “rejuvenate”, “mind”, “senses”, “aromatherapy”,“harmony”, “balance”, “revitalize”, “invigorate”, “stimulate”, “caress”, “uplift”, “relief”, “biosphere”, “space”. a personal vaporizer in said receptacle, the personal vaporizer comprising, a container adapted to contain liquid, the container comprising a body having a bottom wall, at least one sidewall connected to said bottom wall, and an opposing top wall connected to said sidewall, wherein the top wall has at least one opening; a water-activated, chemical heating engine located inside said container, and a wick, wherein the wick is located proximate to said chemical heating engine; opening the receptacle to access the personal vaporizer; introducing liquid comprising water to the container so that the wick and chemical heating engine are in fluid communication with at least a portion of said water, thereby releasing heat and increasing the temperature of said liquid such that a portion of the water vaporizes; and placing the vaporizer so that a user may detect the vaporizer by sight, smell, sound, or touch.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein liquid comprising water is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein an additional material is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the personal vaporizer further comprises a cell that holds liquid comprising water, and wherein the step of introducing liquid to the container is accomplished by a user releasing the liquid comprising water from said cell.
 9. A method of directing water vapor to skin or tissue, the method comprising the steps of: positioning in the hands of a user a personal vaporizer comprising a container adapted to contain liquid, the container comprising a body having a bottom wall, at least one sidewall connected to said bottom wall, and an opposing top wall connected to said sidewall, wherein the top wall has at least one opening; a water-activated, chemical heating engine located inside said container; and a wick, wherein the wick is located proximate to said chemical heating engine; introducing liquid comprising water to the container so that the wick and chemical heating engine are in fluid communication with at least a portion of said water, thereby releasing heat and increasing the temperature of said water such that a portion of the water vaporizes; and placing the vaporizer so that at least a portion of said vapor exiting the top end may contact skin or tissue of the user.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein liquid comprising water is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein an additional material is added to the container by a user of the personal vaporizer.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the personal vaporizer further comprises a cell that holds liquid comprising water, and wherein the step of introducing liquid to the container is accomplished by a user releasing the liquid comprising water from said cell.
 13. A method of designing a personal vaporizer, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a container volume; selecting a container shape; selecting one or more chemical reactants that participate in an exothermic reaction when the ingredients contact water, wherein the exothermic reaction is characterized by a theoretical heat of reaction; selecting a mass of water to contact the chemical ingredients when a user at the personal vaporizer activates the vaporizer, said mass of water characterized by a theoretical caloric heat in put necessary to raise the temperature of, and vaporize, at least a portion of the selected mass of water; selecting a mass of the selected chemical reactants that, when in contact with the selected mass of water, produces heat that is theoretically sufficient to vaporize some portion of the selected mass of water, based on the theoretical heat of reaction corresponding to the selected chemical ingredients and the theoretical caloric heat input necessary to vaporize at least a portion of the selected mass of water; and making a personal vaporizer comprising a container adapted to contain liquid, the container comprising a body having a bottom wall, at least one sidewall connected to said bottom wall, and an opposing top wall connected to said sidewall, wherein the top wall has at least one opening, and wherein the container has the selected volume and shape; a water-activated, chemical heating engine located inside said container, wherein the chemical heating engine comprises the selected mass of the selected chemical ingredients; and a wick located proximate to said chemical heating engine, wherein said wick is adapted to be in fluid communication with water.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of testing the personal vaporizer by contacting the chemical heating engine with the selected amount of water.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the method is used to design and test a plurality of personal vaporizers.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the method is used to optimize a personal vaporizer using consumer use-test responses to evaluate the plurality of personal vaporizers.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the method is used to optimize a personal vaporizer using a measurement to evaluate the plurality of personal vaporizers.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the measurement is grams of vapor produced per unit time. 19-20. (canceled)
 21. A method of making a personal vaporizer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a container adapted to contain liquid, the container comprising a body having a bottom wall, and at least one sidewall connected to said bottom wall; providing a water-activated, chemical heating engine; providing a wick; placing said water-activated, chemical heating engine and wick inside said container; and connecting a top wall to said sidewall after placement of the chemical heating engine and wick inside said container, wherein said top wall comprises at least one opening.
 22. The method of claim 21 wherein at least some portion of the wick is interposed between the chemical heating engine and the at least one opening in the top wall.
 23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of: providing a rupturable cell adapted to contain a liquid comprising water; and placing said rupturable cell inside said container before said top wall is connected to said side wall. 